To be confused by benefits cuts to the disabled and ill?

[AllyHayHay]

As luck would have it, I have not been in this position, but I do know of one disabled lady who has struggled. She was incredibly fortunate to already own her own home prior to her accident.

I am not what you'd call politically astute, but I have been reading about the proposed spring benefits cuts and wonder why people always discuss this ONLY affecting the sick and disabled.
I am also aware that there are many, many rough areas with families who have never worked, people who are struggling with addiction, prison sentences (their kids, spouse, etc) and these people never seem to be included in the Guardian articles and opinion pieces online.

Why would a system wish to make the life of a disabled person worse, yet ignore the growing issues of illiteracy, generational poverty and other issues which are going on in most urban areas just out of sight of the comfortably off?
Why not address the reasons that great swathes of people are living on benefits across the UK who are NOT disabled? I imagine this would drag up questions of why those issues persist - and no one in government wants to address that.

Since benefits claimants who are not in work of on the pension are a minority, are these cuts more of a populist tendency?

But you can read and type?

Thank you. I was just wondering why the extent of the disabled population was so large

It really isn't that simple. I was born with a birth defect affecting my brain and eyes. I have a brain injury (unrelated) and have vertigo. I sometimes have vertigo attacks at night and wake up absolutely shattered.

Would you really employ someone with unpredictable health conditions?

Laughable that you have the audacity to call that an "unfair comment" after your hateful jibes on this thread.

Lots of couples live separately. It’s financially a better option for benefits.
A shame not just because of the cost in benefits but also 2 properties when one would be enough.

Im thinking lack of housing here too.

I too myself was thinking if people can presumably use a laptop, can they not work a bit from home using their laptop?

What job? Find me one. Chances are I've already applied for it.

Sorry to hear this, but i know of people with pretty severe disabilities who work (and am not just saying this) one is blind but works in computing/insurance..they have special software (or something...I don't really understand it) that allows them to translate written text audibly.
A deaf person that works for the council that whenever someone phones her it goes to an translator who then types/communicates between her and client. I think this is amazing and the govt should be more supportive of disabled people and make them aware of what they can do rather than stick them on benefits for life.
Also a huge issue is that working people are earning less than people on benefits , the whole system needs a change .

I think that people should work if they can; BUT it's not just a matter of people refusing to work. It's also a matter of employers being reluctant to employ people who may need more assistance than others; take more time off sick; be less productive at least initially; etc. It's well known that it's often difficult for people over 50 to get new jobs, even with no known health problemms; worse if they (or younger people) do, If the government want more disabled people to get jobs, they have to provide incentives for employers to employ them. Initially, this may result in no savings as the cost or such incentives may replace the cost of benefits; though some savings are likely in the long term.

There are some people who are unlikely to get a job in the open market, but could work in sheltered workshops. There used to be such sheltered workshops, but most were abolished under the Coalition government.

One final point: PIP is not an out-of-work benefit; it is to help with the extra costs of a disability. Plenty of PIP claimants do work. It should not be regarded as the 'dole'.

And this is my problem - I will need a lot of time off work. And then there's the amount of hospital appointments.

My point is that that poster doesn’t have to live off benefits, but chooses to for the financial incentive.

I agree the benefits bill is out of control. I personally know of 3 people who get PIP and drive nice new cars and tell me how to con the system like they do. I have reported all 3 one of whom is being taken to court for benefit fraud. I am a tax payer and am being taken for a ride.

Agree
Louds of people do it
Youd be amazed how many partners still live with their mums 🥴 apparently ?

It's not necessarily a matter of 'choosing' . You have to be able to find and afford somewhere to live in the place where the job is. Try getting a mortgage or even a tenancy on a low wage that could end at any time! Rents tend to be high in the places where there are jobs going.

Of course, in some types of job, people could avoid the relocation problem by working remotely. But this is being increasingly clamped down on.

As can lots of people. That does not mean that they could hold down a job.

Are you implying that my DP is living with me and I not declaring it? I can assure you that is not the case at all. He stays over about once a month.
He also lives elsewhere, pays his own rent, bills etc. We are not linked in anyway at all apart from being in a relationship. And you can't force a couple to live together to save the state money.

Are you still actively searching for work?

The problem is that people misuse the word "disabled" it's very offensive to those who actually need support.

There are few people who cannot work. I have a friend who has a daughter in her twenties with a brain injury. Her learning disability is such that there are few jobs she could do independently. However, she wants to work. She volunteers in a gardening project and works part time in a cafe. She has supported living and benefits to top her up, as she absolutely should.

I have another friend who is a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy. She's a high flying journalist. She also has carers to support some of her day to day life that she can't do independently. Absolutely she should have all the state support she needs.

My friend with the disabled daughter put herself through university whilst bringing up her 3 children (one high needs) and is now a nurse.

The problem lies in people using the term disabled to mean things like chronic fatigue and anxiety abd people that claim to be "carers" to their wife with fibromyalgia or can't work as their "disabled" child has ADHD in a mainstream school.

It infuriates me. There should be benefits and care of a high standard to those that really need it. Access to work for people who need support in the workplace should be increased. How many people with learning disabilities would love a job they can be proud of? But to achieve this, we have to cut the bullshit of can't work for low level reasons. The resilience of people in the UK now is laughable.

And why is that?

It may come as a shock but I’m not talking about your situation

I don’t know you…so how could I.

You are quoting a poster that was on about me.

For a myriad of reasons, that some patient posters have explained already. There are other threads on disability that you can scroll through to educate yourself, at your leisure.

Why?

Yep. Trying desperately to find something I can do from home so I can get off UC and LCWRA. Also doing a degree with the OU to improve my prospects, but that's going to take another 5ish years. I might be dead by that point, tbf, so problem solved either way.

Funnily enough at-home jobs have thousands of applications for every vacancy, and in-person employers aren't keen to hire someone who will likely be absent often, hasn't got a driving licence and can't do a physical job.

I think it’s the whole dilemma that Labour are currently trying to get to grips with @MaggieThatcher134